Article by Jason Bloomberg
Cloud-native computing rolls up domain-driven design, GitOps, and other modern software best practices. When implemented properly, these practices can reduce technical debt. The devil, however, is in the details.
Cloud-native computing is a new paradigm for enterprise IT that touches all aspects of modern technology, from application development to software architecture to the underlying infrastructure that keeps everything moving.
Cloud-native has thus given us an opportunity to clean house. We can take our newfangled, Kubernetes-empowered broom and sweep out all the dusty corners of our existing tech.
It would only be logical, therefore, to presume that cloud-native will finally put an end to all the technical debt that has been accruing lo these many years.
Logical, perhaps, but not realistic. Technical debt is notoriously persistent. Furthermore, given a dollar to spend, any CIO would rather spend it on something new rather than fritter it away on cleaning up some predecessor’s messes.
There are reasons to have hope, however. Cloud-native is certainly no magical broom, but its core practices can indeed help you reduce your technical debt, and deliver new software capabilities without accruing more – or at least, not as much debt as you would have otherwise.
